FormerDatsun510Man
Sixth Gear
Join Date: Apr 1999
Location: South Carolina
Posts: 8,052
I bought one solely because I felt I needed a new car for a stress-free reliable daily commute to work over a bridge that is 24 miles with no breakdown lane. I was starting to have electrical issues with my '00 at that time, which admittedly, were probably caused from years of doing performance modifications to it and using it has a test car at places I worked in the Miata performance industry.
Looking back, I sometimes wish I simply found another unmolested low mileage NA or NB, but then again I would be getting a car that is 9-25 years old. So on that note, I really am glad I got the NC as it really makes the most sense and is the only new car I remotely like.
That said what do I like about it over the NA/NB models? Well, the body is more solid and it is a nice car to commute in. I can see they targeted the older/softer crowd (no offense, I'm getting up there age myself LOL) with it. A little more BMW Z3ish, but still a Miata. I like how smooth the engine is and how torquey it feels out on the highway. Unlike the NA or NB models I owned, I don't feel the need to add boost to this engine to be happy with it daily. Also, the brakes are phenomenal on this car! This is one performance aspect that would have me think twice about going back to an NA or NB. It stops with the stability and force to push your eyeballs out their sockets LOL. Also, I like the exterior styling quite a bit from the windshield base and back to the rear. Not too wild about the frontend styling, but it is passable at least. Finally, I also really like the cloth softop! Looks beautiful and very well made! I will say one thing that Mazda is a master of the ragtop these days. There is no better! Compare this top to what ragtops used to be like in the '60s is a real eye opener!
What don't I like? Unlike the NA or NB the list is fairly long. But again, I don't want to get rid of it for these faults because it really is the only new car I like or want. It is 10x better for me than a Camry LOL.
- The view out the front is chunky and tall, more like a sedan rather than a sportscar. Not too huge of a deal, but I am not a fan of the feeling I get looking out of if where I spend all my time while driving it.
- The stock suspension was so darn underdamped it was comical. I have a base suspension FWIW, but even the stock Club suspension bounces around like a pogo stick. I had to spend a grand in suspension mods to make the car feel decent. This contrasts with the NA and NB which I both owned for years on stock suspension. I did eventually mod the '00 Miata I had, but it had a lot going on with it to go with the suspension. Such as an extra 100hp 
.
- Engine throttle response is laggy. The NC features drive-by-wire. A lot of people don't seem to mind, but my car still bothers me in this regards. Just not the direct feel of my NA or NB which simply needed no ECU tuning to feel right. Now, I know the argument might be made whether technically it is the DBW itself causing the issue. Right now, the jury is out on that one as I analysis it further on my car. However, whether it is DBW itself or the tuning of the ECU is immaterial from the end user perspective. The bottom line is the engine feels laggy in throttle response as delivered from the factory. Most people don't bother screwing around with tuning their new engines. I am a little different in this regards LOL. The torque and power is great however, and it has plenty of passing power.
- Manual Transmission doesn't feel as direct and tight as on the NA and NB. I don't know if it is the length of the shifter rod, the mechanicals in the transmission or simply the center console height, but though I really can't fault the shifter itself, the throws feel longer and not as direct as in the NA or NB. The NA or NB felt like the knob is a little switch, as they say, riflebolt action. The shifter in the NC is also very precise and smooth, but it feels like more stuff is moving inside when I move the lever (more weight behind it) and also the throw feels longish. I switched out the shift knob to the Moddiction (nice and heavy to make it easier to shift) and it helps a good deal. No real complaints now other than the shift action itself still feels, for lack of a better description... a little more distant... than on the earlier cars. Like I am going through one more interface before actually moving the transmission fork.
- That damn smiley face. Completely subjective, but though I find on the 2013+ models it looks better to my eyes, I still am annoyed by that stupid grin that the 2009+ models all have. And the high front end. Don't see it when I am driving thank goodness.
- Excess plastic in interior and overdoing it of buttons, storage bins and cupholders. I can see Ford's influence here. They were trying to make it practical like a Ford Fusion. Can't fault the quality of materials, just that for what I like about the Miata, the simple, spartan, classic interior, they lost a lot of that with the NC redesign. They have three plastic storage bins on the rear deck. The plastic takes up more space that what is yielded by the interior of the storage bins, which I don't use. But this is a direct result I think of the car being designed for the Power Hardtop. Which is the real reason I think the proper ragtop folds backwards. With the NC the large amount of space that the NA and NB had with the rear ledge and also behind the seats is lost because of this. Replaced by three little storage bins. Likewise with the idea of having four (4!!!) cupholders and an extra power lock button (that makes sense in a four door, not a 2 seater! Just need to integrate the lock into the driver door lock). Oh and the ridiculous gas tank release, which is behind you rather than a between you in a more natural position like on the NA and NB. Why they have a power trunk with gas struts is beyond me. Now I have to hit another button to lock the trunk, which is high priority on a convertible car, especially if you leave the top down when parked sometimes. With the NA or NB one would quite simply turn the key to the left to lock the trunk from thieves (disabling the interior trunk release). I'm also not a fan of the shiny plastic strip on the dash. I like the overall dash shape however, just too much shiny and painted silver plastic. Miss the "plain" look of the 1990-1993 Miata interior. That was perfect IMHO. So in short, I find the NC interior compared to the NA and NB interiors I was used to, is a bit busier and more cluttered than I would like. However, compared to what else is out there it is still the best game in town.
- Not a real fan of the fact that you have to use premium fuel on an engine that has a specific power output that really should only require regular 87 octane. Not that I am a cheapskate but it just seems wasteful to me. Yes, you "can" run lower octane, but I am not a fan of having the engine's ECU let the engine knock a few times to figure out there is lower octane fuel in the tank. Nor am I fan of the lower performance this would yield. My point? 167hp out of 2 Liters should run just dandy on 87 octane.
- Another subjective thing is that I find the car just isn't as fun as the NA or NB when driving normally. By this, I don't mean that the less solid body/chassis of the NA/NB makes it more fun. It is simply that it was more fun and I found myself grinning more in them just driving around. I think it partly is that the seating position in the NA/NB feels like you are more on top of rather than in the car. Don't get me wrong, I felt in the car in the NA/NB, but since the car is not so bulky and lower all around you, it gives you the sensation of being more out in the elements, like a motorcycle. The NC feels a little less roadster in this respect but I will say it is still fun. I find that when I start to drive the NC like a sportscar is meant to be driven it then does feel very fun. I think this might also point to the fact that the car feels more refined when daily driving. Doesn't really show its fun side until you open it up and push it. Bottom line, while the NA/NB feel like they are going faster than they actually are, the NC feels like it is at best going about the speed it is going and often slower than it is actually going. I guess this is both good and bad depending upon how you look at it.
- rear view is more restricted in the NC. Still quite good with the top down, but since you are seated more in the car and also the rear is higher because of the plastic behind you and how the top folds down, this restricts the rearward vision a bit. I always thought it was pretty cool how open the rear view was in the NA and NB. That is no longer the case in the NC for me. Maybe the guys that are over 6' have a different view than I have though.
So yes, I am quite critical about the NC, but believe it or not, if you are in the market for a new car and want a sportscar I would highly recommend it. It's the best thing out there new in this regards and also it is very high quality. That is one thing that always has impressed me with the Miata throughout the years. Mazda has an obvious affection for the car and pay extra care in building them from what I see. You will notice they have the highest reliability of ALL Mazda models too! Yes, despite my complaints with the NC, when I have tinkered with it (oil change, suspension springs/shocks/sways changeout, etc.) I found it is very well built and will last for years and years. In fact, one other positive thing I will add about the NC is that it is still very easy to work on. In fact, I found the fasteners for interior/exterior trim and easier to use than on the NA or NB which have a larger assortments of screws, nuts and plastic pins holding parts together. Oil change was easier than the NA or NB. I was able to simply raise the front of the car and do everything from the front rather than having to remove the passenger side wheel and hook my arm blind through the space in there to reach the oil filter, etc. On the NC you just remove the access plate (very easy) and the oil filter simply unscrews downwards and right next to it is the drain plug. Also love the coil on plug ignition and how tidy the engine compartment is. It is more modern and doesn't look quite as cool as the older models but it still is very mechanic friendly.
